Curse of the Blood Moon
by Ear-Tweak-Sama
Summary: A new threat bound by old Native American lore will threaten the reality the Quileute wolf pack thought they knew about the world. Someone is recruiting vampires to track, hunt and capture shape shifters and another tribe seeks out help in order to prevent the extinction of their people. [Jacob/OC] [Canon Couples] Post Breaking Dawn.
1. Strangers

A/N: So, I finally broke down and decided to write (i.e. type) a _Twilight_ fanfiction. To be completely honest I revisited the movies and books and realized that while very entertaining…Stephanie Meyer (in my opinion) pissed away a decent story line in regards to the last novel. Now I know I'm going to receive some hateful responses from that comment, but sadly it's true – and she made the most interesting character a pedophile. Anyways, this story is going to be slight AU, takes place a little after the events of _Breaking Dawn_, and mainly focuses on the tribe/wolf pack as well as Native American myth and lore. WARNING: Renesmee bashing! This is very much a Jacob imprinting story and he will do so on someone who isn't a half-human half-vampire baby.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything related to Twilight that belongs to Stephanie Meyer. I do, however, "own" all original characters.

Summary: A new threat bound by old Native American lore will threaten the reality the Quileute wolf pack thought they knew about the world. Someone is recruiting vampires to track, hunt and capture shape shifters and another tribe seeks out help in order to prevent the extinction of their people.

Curse of the Blood Moon -

Chapter 1. Strangers

Jacob Black was all too familiar with the eerie silence that weaved through the La Push forests like the silk of a spider's web. It had been two years since the almost vampire showdown and while the event was nothing but anti-climactic it seemed to leave a resonating hole within Forks, one of which even sent a chill down his spine. And Jacob never got cold. Since the arrival and departure of the international vampires, several came stalking in their wake desiring to claim the deserted territory the Cullen's had long since abandoned.

He leapt over the old mahogany railing from the back-door ramp, his need for movement overpowering that of common sense. Jacob knew he could have easily just walked down the ramp, but for some reason he felt restless. The last few months had felt like a cage with the four walls closing in on him, suffocating him, and his inner wolf hated it. While he hadn't been a werewolf long, although most would consider any length of time being one significant enough, he'd learned to trust his wolf's intuition and survival instincts. Jacob shoved his hands into the pockets of his cut-off jeans and dragged his feet along the dirt path leading toward the cluster of dense wood behind his house.

Nothing much had changed in regards to his life, well, that wasn't completely true. He was alpha now, at least of his own pack, and had claimed territorial rights over a decent portion of Forks and La Push. Sam didn't seem to be bothered much by it, his desire to finally settled down and marry Emily far surpassed his need to be alpha. And so, once he retired, so to speak, Jacob simply absorbed Embry, Paul, Jared, and Quil into his own pack. No longer was he the alpha of the second rate pack, instead his pack ruled supreme and he found himself actually enjoying the responsibility that being an alpha gave him. He found his thoughts drifting toward Seth and how much he missed him. After birth of Renesmee and the almost incident with the Volturi, the Cullens decided that it best to try traveling to prevent such an incident from occurring again and since Seth imprinted on Renesmee it seemed only fitting that Jacob allow him to leave the pack.

A lone howl sliced through the silence of the forest and it sang like silver wind chimes to his soul. Jacob could feel the wolf reverberating within him, his blood, scorching hot through this veins sought to answer the call with a song of his own. He knew his wolf well, all too well. He yearned to be wild and free, at least to a degree. Jacob learned years ago that wolves don't exist well outside of packs, in fact, being a lone wolf did psychological damage to the human psyche, some of which he wouldn't wish on anyone. Once Bella made her decision to become a vampire, to love and stay with Edward, he'd realized that a broken heart could do just as much damage –if not more. He chuckled inwardly at the thought. Jacob tried convincing himself every day since they…and she departed that he was over her. Love was funny that way, it was easier to fall into love than it was to fall out of, and unfortunately for him it took a great deal of persuasion to convince him otherwise. The song rang out again, this time directly calling to him.

_Leah_, he thought turning his head the direction of her wolf's call. He tilted his head upward, his chin pointed toward the moon, it wasn't like her to call out for him unless she'd found something worth investigating. Jacob let his rage from the last five years rush over him, consume him and completely overwhelm the part of him that was human. He shifted effortlessly and with loud growl, that rivaled the roar of grizzly bear, he took off into further into the blackness of the woods. The world became a blur around him as he avoided fallen trees, jagged boulders, and bush patches. While there were several cons to being a werewolf, superhuman speed and agility weren't some of them, in fact he loved the super hero aspect of being La Push's protector; the sense of worth and purpose filled a large portion of the hole left behind by heartbreak.

He arrived at the cliffs a little beyond the edge of the forest and skidded to an abrupt halt. Leah's thoughts hummed in the back of his mind, and while he couldn't see her in the darkness of the night – he could sense that she was near. Being a wolf did that to a person, it made them ultra-sensitive to the presence of other organisms, another perk that he didn't mind too much. Jacob tweaked his ears slight, to the left and then the right, listening for Leah's approaching paws. He could hear her running through the forest, panting heavily, and he unconsciously let a growl escape his muzzle. Something was very very wrong.

_Jacob!_

_JACOB!_

Leah's thoughts screamed on as she drew closer and closer to him. He quickly debated about whether or not to alarm the rest of the pack, he didn't know what the immediate threat, if any, was, but if there was it might be possible that he and Leah weren't enough to manage it. She arrived then just as he thrust his upward preparing to release his own battle cry. She whimpered softly, the high pitched whine forcing him to rear back his ears, as she kneeled down to give him a decent display of her neck. To anyone who didn't understand wolf body language, this was a sign of respect, and while he knew that both he and Leah weren't necessarily the closest alpha and beta – she at least followed orders and delivered on her duty as second in command.

_Jacob, bloodsuckers not too far east of here. Their scent trails along the creek and then circles back here toward the beach._

A low threating growl rumbled deep within his chest and his ears flattened completely against his skull. After the warning passed around by the Cullens, covens knew better than to stray this far into wolf territory, into his territory. The pressure of his anger and frustration having finally reached its peak, he finally released the growl that had be aching to claw its way out of his ribs and lungs.

_Could you tell how many there were by the trail?_

Leah huffed and shook her head no, her nostrils flaring as she did so. She bared her fangs at him in a snarl, her tongue flicking out from behind her teeth like that of a snake tasting the air. Jacob summed it up to their mutually shared hatred of vampires. He assumed that her inability to catch one of them was the true cause of her anger and retreat to track him down, if she'd been successful in destroying any of them he wouldn't have been alerted until after the fact. _Damn leeches_, he thought basking in Leah's rage.

Jacob instantly took off down the slope of the forest foot hill, veered left avoiding the up-rooted earth, and then snaked around the path leading down toward the creek. Leah was on his heels, her breath almost tickling the fur around the pads of his paws, her eagerness for the kill overpowering the human aspect of herself and allowed the wolf to fully overcoming her. Upon reaching the bumpy terrain near the creek Jacob paused momentarily, with his heart racing within his chest and his blood singing within his ears, he needed time to think. The bloodsuckers were long gone now, probably ran off the second Leah caught wind of them, but there was something unsettling about that. Typically vampires looking for their next meal didn't give up so easily, especially when acquisition of new territory followed along with it; however, the way in which their scent lingered it made him think of pacing more so than hunting.

_The parasites are long gone now. Ya scared em off from the looks of it._

Leah snorted in response then slumped back on her haunches. Her tongue lolled from the side of her mouth, her muzzle dipping slight at an angle as she recovered from the run. He walked toward her and nudged her shoulder with the tip of his nose, a sign of encouragement and reassurance on his part even though he was equally upset about the incident.

_Come on, let's head back and let the others know. _

_Whatever you say boss. _

He would setup a patrol schedule once they back to his place. Another perk of being the alpha meant calling the shots, which in turn also meant calling regular meetings to keep the pack up to date on what was going on in La Push, and unfortunately for him that meant little to no sleep. Not that Jacob honestly mined, these days he was a bit of an insomniac anyways. Old habits die hard, or so he'd been told, he'd picked up the bad habit a little after Bella finally made her decision to become a vampire and he took off for Canada. He knew one thing about having a broken heart, it sure as hell made a person determined to get over it by any means necessary – and he was bound and determined to focus on anything but love.

After shifting back into human form both Jacob and Leah quickly dressed and then fell into place on the couch in Jacob's matchbox size living room.

"I should have tracked them longer before signaling you. " Leah growled, balling her hand into a tight fist. "The most excitement we've had in months and I go and blow it."

"Save it, Leah." Jacob spat, not interest in having this discussion at the moment. "It happens. We'll get em' if and when they come back."

She huffed and rolled her eyes at him before pick up the remote to his crappy television, turning it on, and then averting her attention toward the tiny screen. _Some things never changed_.., he thought shaking his head in annoyance. On the wolf front, the relationship between Jacob and Leah was much less strained than on the human front. He didn't take it to heart or at least he tried not to. They were equally matched in bad attitudes and he was sure that if they duked it out both would walk away with a few scratches. But he knew that it was only because they had so much in common – as much as they both hated to admit it to one another. Leah still hadn't imprinted on anyone after all this time and each and every day her hopes of doing so diminished. This was in part due to her lingering feelings for Sam, both he and Emily knew that Leah was still in love with him and they tried to be as sensitive as they could about pursing a future with one another without inflicting any intentional pain for her; and in some parts it was due to Leah's fear of being infertile. Jacob leaned against the adjoining wall between the living room and the kitchen and sighed. Another issue he constantly worried about – his pack mates happiness.

His eyes drifted to the old clock that hung above the dated refrigerator. It was almost six o' clock in the morning and they'd spent a majority of the night back tracking the vampires' path around the reservation. The wolf rumbled from deep within him telling urging him for sustenance, he'd gone almost a full twenty-four hours without food, perhaps now would be as good as time as any to eat.

"What about the others?" Leah asked, not pulling her eyes from the television. "You know how they get when there's food and they're not around to stuff their faces."

Her wolf felt the same – the hunt had left them restless and empty, and now they needed a replacement to get their fill. Bloodlust tended to do that to werewolves or at least that's what he'd learned over the last few years, and while the vampires didn't bleed, there was still that desire to mutilate them.

"Who likes to stuff their faces?" Paul Lahote chuckled flopping down on the couch near Leah. She growled lowly at his presence and slid to the opposite end of the couch. "Didn't have a nice run, Leah?"

Another irritation Jacob didn't necessarily need at the moment – Paul. He had been a constant source of frustration since the day he imprinted on Rachel, and while they were only dating Paul behaved as if they were already married. Jacob hated it.

"Dude, have you been here all night?" Jacob asked, focusing his attention on his pack brother. "You have your own home. Rachel isn't even here and she won't be until next week."

"Shows what you know," Paul replied, a smirk plastered across his face. "Your dad said that it was cool. Beside you know I hate being cooped up at home all alone, especially when I live so close to my brother-in-law."

That last part was intentionally meant to piss Jacob off and he quickly found himself tempted to grab Paul by the neck and toss him out on his ass. His father wouldn't approve, he knew that, but oh how his hands were itching to kick the snot out of him. Paul got off tormenting him and to be completely honest Jacob made it easy for him to do so. The true reason why his taunts bothered him so much was because of the very real possibility that they'd become related and be bonded by more than just wolf magic.

"Shut up, Paul." Leah seethed, elbowing him in the ribs. "Why do you always have to be so damn annoying?"

Paul laughed and rolled into her hit so to lessen the effects of the blow. "Probably the same reason why you're always such a bit-"

"ENOUGH!" Jacob roared. "Knock it off Paul. We've got enough going on that we don't need to add this to it."

"Jake?" his father's voice called from the bedroom. "Jacob?"

"Great! You woke my dad." Jacob growled, narrowing his eyes at Paul. "Yeah dad, be there in a second."

Jacob turned away from the living room and trudged down the short and narrow hallway that lead toward the bedrooms. They had expanded much of the house with what little both he and his father earned, now there was a guest bedroom off to the left of Jacob's own; as well as there being a half bathroom. It wasn't much, but then again they didn't need much either. Jacob took a deep breath and pushed open the door with round edge of his shoulder, he remained, however, in the threshold of the bedroom his large frame would do nothing but crowd his father's bed.

"Hey dad, did we wake you?" Jacob asked, lowering his voice. "I'm sorry about that, Paul just woke up and well…" he knowing that if he finished his original thought it would upset him. "You know how he is. Leah is here too, we'll try to be quitter."

Billy Black chuckled in the dimness of his bedroom, his white teeth shimmering like fading stars in the morning light. His long ebony hair was snuggly twisted into two braids that hung past his shoulders, which was unusual, he typically wore his hair loose so that it spilled down over his shoulders like a water fall of ink; Jacob liked the new styling, however, it made his father seem a bit younger. He folded his arms over one another and then tucked them into the hollows of his armpits as he leaned into the creaky wooden frame of the door.

"Always worried about me. " Billy laughed, leaning forward to straighten himself. "I've been up for a while now, waiting for you to get home." He paused deliberately as if contemplating whether or not he wanted to inform Jacob as to why he was waiting for him. Jacob cocked an eyebrow but said nothing, it wasn't like his father to unnecessarily worry himself over Jacob's pack obligations over even to stress over late night patrols – he had nearly five years of practice under his belt to acclimate himself to it all. "Sam called a little while ago, he asked me to let you know that he did."

"Why didn't he just tell me himself?" Jacob demanded. Since the almost battle of the vampire Sam had decided to stop phasing, and he'd gone almost an entire year without an incident; however, that didn't necessarily mean he couldn't. No one was really interested in testing the theory at this point. Sam had proved within a year's time he could control his rage enough to resist the urge to phase and that was quite an impressive feat for a werewolf – especially taking into consideration the steady follow of vampires within the area. But, he and Emily wanted children and he was afraid that he wouldn't be around long enough to see them grow up if he kept fighting the 'good fight'.

Even with the anger in his tone rising he kept his face completely neutral, a mask, demonstrating completely control over his inner demons, or rather control over his inner wolf. "It's not as if Jared and Quil aren't over at Emily's all the time. They could have relayed the message."

"Jake…," Billy chided, shaking his head in disapproval. "You know that this is tough on Sam. He's trying his best to stay out of your – pack business." The correction wasn't necessary, because there was no true distinction between pack business and Jacob's, it all was tied together in one great big dysfunctional package.

"Sure, sure." Jacob said dismissively. He drew his brows together, clearly concentrating – his mind reeling through the possibilities. Why would Sam need to get into contact with him at this hour if not for pack business? "Does this have anything to do with the bloodsuckers that have been running around the reservation?" His shoulders tightened at the idea of Sam knowing more of what was going on than he did, in fact, it made his blood boil.

The sun finally reached a high enough point in the sky to where the light could peak through the shades of the window. Jacob's sensitive eyes didn't need light to distinguish his father's features in the diminishing dimness, he knew long before the sun's rays hit his father's russet face that he wasn't pleased with him. Sleek creases, like that of wore leather, now fanned out across his father's face, he was still an attractive man for his age, but as he stared back at Jacob he could really see the weariness within them. Billy's face was ridged, clearly unimpressed with Jacob's attitude, his deep brown hard and cold.

"Sorry dad…" he muttered, feeling like a spoiled brat. "I'm just tired…and hungry." He even threw in a yawn for theatrics-sake. He didn't really want to get into an argument with Billy, and so the best thing to do was go for the obvious. "I'll head over to Emily's a little later. After I grab some grub and catch some Z's."

Billy simply nodded his head, but didn't utter a single word. Instead he sunk back down into the warmth of his bed, attempting to regain the comfort he lost because of his parental concern. Jacob turned to leave then and gently pulled the door shut behind him. When he back to the living room Paul was still on the couch watching television and while Leah peacefully slept curled up at the opposite end of him. Food would be needed soon to feed his pack, as well as to feed his inner wolf. He turned on the balls of his heels and headed for the kitchen, his nose told him that there was nothing substantial enough to feed his kin, of even his father for that matter, so perhaps a trip into town for some groceries was due – long overdue.

Jacob lopped into the half bathroom that down the hall right across from his bedroom. He looked in the mirror, his choppy black hair looked chaotic and wild, and as he stared into the mirror he realized why. He looked ill, to say the least, pale and glassy-eyed his features seemed sunken and emaciated. He quickly splashed some water on his face, ran his hand through the unruly mess he called hair, and then grabbed a clean shirt before striding toward the front door.

"Leah is in charge until I get back. I'm heading to the store to pick some things up to eat." Jacob tossed over his shoulder only glancing back at Paul briefly, "tell the others to be ready for a meeting by the time I get back."

Paul didn't even turn around to acknowledge Jacob, he simply waved him off and muttered, and "Yeah yeah…" as Jacob closed the front door securely behind him.

Jacob decided on Port Angeles long before he even reached the Rabbit. He'd convinced himself that the longer drive would be good, and that a little distance would probably help ease some of the tension he was feeling. He walked over to the driver's side and threw open the door, ducked inside his head barely missing the aged metal of the cramped car, and then thrust the key into the ignition and drove off.

The high way was incredibly peaceful the blending colors of evergreen, chocolate brown and robin egg blue seemed to wash away all the stiffness he previously held in his shoulders, but even with the stress slowly evaporating he found him mind wandering. What did Sam know? And if it was vital to the protection of the tribe than why hadn't he told Jacob himself? And then there was the mysterious vampires, never had a coven been able to avoid any of members of the pack – so how were these able to? He felt the tension climbing its way back into his shoulders and his joints ached with the increase in pressure. Something was off, very very wrong and he could feel it in his bones, that and well his wolf senses were bugging him like crazy.

After about two and a half hours later the forest reared back to give way to the civilization. The high way became less tapered and straight, and instead expanded into the thickness and congestion of city limit asphalt. He didn't mind Port Angeles that much, it wasn't a terrible city to spend the day in, but a lifetime on the reservation had made him quite the homebody. Perhaps it was the wolf genes or maybe it was just because of who he truly was, but there was just some sort of quaintness to being apart of a tiny tribe and growing up in a humbling house. Jacob often imagined what it would be like to live in the city and to live as normal people did, but now after everything he'd experienced and suffered through, it all seemed like some awful practical joke – as if the universe's way of saying: normalcy didn't exist.

The harbor city wasn't particularly busy and wasn't bustling with tourist like it usually was – which Jacob was thankful for. After his initial phasing and joining the pack, he found it difficult to be around large groups of people, there were a few exceptions to this however, but even so it had taken all of his restraint to keep himself from letting the flame of anger overcome him. It was the constant staring and whispering that truly bothered him the most. He didn't really blame them, it wasn't their fault that he appeared so abnormal. His face still had the remnants of that of a youthful boy, child like and inexperienced, and although he was only twenty he possessed the build of a much older man, like of man in his late twenties early thirties. If Jacob allowed himself to seriously consider it his nearly six foot and eight inch frame would be rather imposing and intimidating, although it had nothing to truly do with him – it was all his wolf.

He parked the car in an empty space that rounded one of the many local farmer's markets within the city, hopped out, and embarked on his quest for food. In contrast to the rest of the city streets, the farmer's market buzzed with the electricity of life. Jacob found himself trying to squeeze and maneuver his way around people in order to reach the vendors, which was a considerable feet given how much larger he was than the average male, and human for that matter, but once he realized the flow of movement it soon became effortless to blend in.

Jacob made his way to the produce first, and while he knew the pack needed meat he figured Billy would need more to sustain a healthy enough diet to fight off infections and sickness. He grabbed a free disposable bag and then started loading up on various fruits and vegetables.

"That's a lot of food, where are you putting it all?" a male voice asked, amusement tucked playful behind his words. "You could feed an entire battalion with everything you've got in that bag."

Jacob turned to face the stranger and was greet with a face similar to his father's. A deep russet brown face, scared with the withering effects of old age, and silk black hair that flowed in waves from underneath an authentic western cowboy hat. He smiled warmly at Jacob without showing his teeth and for some odd reason that made him pause. It wasn't often that strangers approached him, but Jacob could only assume this man spoke to him because was Native American as well.

"Big family." Jacob muttered, regaining his composure. "I have a lot of brothers."

There was a happy yep from below and that's when Jacob first realized that there was a dog standing next to the man. _Weird_, he thought as two hazel brown eyes peered up at him curiously. How could he not have smelled the animal? Being werewolf granted him with the ability of a keen sense of smell, so how was he suddenly unable to even catch the slightest whiff of dog. _It's probably because of all the people,_ he convinced himself, quickly dismissing his suspiciousness. He leaned down to scrutinize the dog further and upon doing so noticed the distinct wild features of something else…wolf maybe? The animal tilted its head to the side and whined softly, its eyes almost human like as they stared back at him.

Jacob suddenly felt overwhelmingly dizzy, it felt as if he'd just spun around half a million times in a circle. The earth fell away from him and his heart hammered against his rib cage. Something wasn't right. There was this sudden need to touch this man's dog, but why? He couldn't understand it. Had he lost his mind completely? Jacob felt his eyes widen and his palms began to sweat profusely. Something wasn't right.

"You like her?" the name asked, his head tilted toward the animal. "Beautiful isn't she? I've raised her since she was a pup." The smile still lingered on the man's face as he looked up at Jacob, and there was something in his eyes. Some sort of twinkle or secret, as if he was enjoying his own private joke.

The flame of dryness and irritation engulfed his throat, forcing him to choke back the words he was going to say. Jacob found something shifting within him, altering his thoughts, his emotions, and his heart. This odd revelation struck like a bolt of lightning, shocking his senses simultaneously; it felt as if all these years he'd been blind, his eyes hazed over by delusions of reality, and now he could see with clear sight what reality truly was. Gravity no longer held him grounded to the earth – no, instead it was this creature. Jacob could see the filaments of the bond sealing his life eternally to her, she was a dog, but there was something different and unnatural about her that his wolf seemed to see more so than he could as a human. It was all so clear now, so blindly clear.

"You alright there, son?" the man asked, his eyebrows drawn in concern. "You don't look so well, maybe you should sit down."

"No." Jacob managed finally able to regain his composure. "I think I'm alright now."

The man blew a heavy sigh of relief, truly concerned about Jacob's well-being, "Good to know, son. And where are my manners, honestly, my ma – May she rest in eternal peace- is probably giving the spirits grief over my slight." His toothless grin spread across his face, another inside joke that flew right over Jacob's head, and then thrust his hand forward. "I'm Jedidiah Crazy Horse, but everyone calls me Jed."

Jacob hesitantly extended his own hand, "Jake – Jacob Black."

"Well, Jacob. It's nice to meet one of the people." Jed said, his friendly smile increasing tenfold. "It's not often that you see youths of the people among pale faces…especially one so statuesque."

A warm tingling sensation licked across the palm of Jacob's hand and snaked its way up the length of his arm. His wolf instincts told him to withdraw his arms and the tension he felt while driving up to Port Angeles reminded him that it had never dissipated. He had been all wolf once, pushed the human side of himself behind the invisible walls of his mind, in an effort to escape the pain of being vulnerable. All practical instincts with none of the overanalyzed, emotional drama associated with being human. It was a bizarre experience, pushing away one aspect of yourself for another, but Jacob knew that when his wolf did force he's way to the surface, it was usually for a good reason.

The female creature beside Jed growled at Jacob and he was sure she could sense the shift or rather the change of his human nature to his wolf one. She bared her fangs which glistened stark white in the afternoon sun, dazzlingly so, and crouched down priming herself for the initial strike. If Jacob hadn't been a werewolf he would have found her menacing. Wolf-like features on a tawny-reddish brown slender frame, with petite paws and jackal cone shaped ears, this creature was anything but a dog. Too much muscle, too tall, and the proportions were way off – Jacob's wolf growled at his oversight.

Jed laughed abruptly and the sound carried like the cawing sound of a crow, or maybe more accurately the whooping sound of a coughing animal – in any case Jacob's wolf didn't enjoy being the butt of this man's joke. "Ah, wolf. Such is your way." Jed whispered, drawing closer to Jacob. "Of all the spirits great creatures you have always been the biggest and strongest."

Taken aback by Jed's comment Jacob leapt backward and allowed the all too familiar flame of anger wash over him. He was fed up with all this crap. Suddenly his uneventful occasional vampire infested life had taken a change for the worst – not only were there some freaky untraceable vampires stalking his territory, but now some stranger somehow knew his most precious secret? There was no way all of this was a coincidence.

"Who are you?" Jacob growled. The animalistic nature of sound drew unwanted attention from the people around them, some even paused to stare somewhat interested in the idea of a showdown in the midst of a dreary farmer's market. His lips reared back, curling up over his teeth like that of a wolf's muzzle pulling back to demonstrate his fangs, and every muscle in his body went stiff locking his body into place. The fact that Jacob couldn't get a good reading on this man and on the canine-like creature at his side was enough reason to be suspicious, and now he in no way believed that this man's – Jed- intentions weren't as pure as they once appeared. Jacob wasn't one for letting things slide – there was no way this man was human. "What are you?"

"Be at peace, wolf. Calm your fury and rage. I am not here to harm you." Jed whispered, the words rolling off of his tongue like he'd sung them. The sensation from before returned only instead of spreading from contact it was hidden within Jed's words and hit Jacob with the full force of a wrecking ball. "I believe that we can both help one another with each other's problems."

_He's talking about the vampires_, Jacob though, his mind reeling. And even though he knew that's what Jed was referring to he found himself still asking, "Help each other with what?"

Jed cleared his throat, closed his eyes and began humming to himself softly. When he opened his eyes again they were glowing bright yellow. "Someone or someones have been tracking and hunting my kin." He paused, allowing the irises of his eyes to return back to their natural human color. "And once they have eliminated us, there will be nothing stopping them from coming for your kind as well."


	2. Walkers

A/N: Woohoo, my first two reviews! Shout outs to both Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967 and WeJustPretend for their lovely words, I am overjoyed that you guys enjoyed the first chapter! Also, I realize that Jacob isn't as happy-go-lucky as it was in the novels, that's intentional. I want to show some maturity in Jacob and while he still is the same person (which I will express throughout the story) he also has down a lot of growing up, and in most cases with age comes maturity – he's an alpha now for Pete's sake. Slight Renesmee bashing, as mentioned before, and only in the sense that Jacob didn't imprint on her – Seth did.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to _Twilight, _all relating to the saga belongs to Stephanie Meyer. I do, however, "own" all original characters within this story.

Curse of the Blood Moon –

Chapter 2. Walkers

Jacob had never given it much thought to the possible existence of other shape-shifters among other Native American tribes, in fact it truly surprised him how it had never occurred to him before now. The assumption seemed rather ignorant and presumptuous, initially, however, the more and more he thought through the idea it didn't seem as bizarre or outlandish as when he'd first heard the words. To a degree Jacob was still skeptical, being a werewolf made it next to impossible not to be, but he'd never been one to turn away someone in need of help. And so even with the slight nagging suspicions in the back of his head, he agreed to hear Jed out, and deep within him his wolf growled reluctantly.

The euphoria he'd felt when first meeting Jed and his pet is what really swayed his final decision. If he hadn't known any better he'd have believed that he imprinted on that creature, but how was that possible or normal? Imprinting had been chalked up to this rare phenomenon that only happened to a few werewolves within a pack, but now here he was experiencing the same feelings that Paul, Sam, Seth, Jared, and Quil have all expressed during their telepathic conversations. The myths never touched on the likelihood of a Quileute's perfect match or mate being that of an animal instead of a human. His stomach recoiled and tightened at the very idea. There would be no keeping this from the pack, especially Leah, and he knew that the imprintee aside, she wouldn't be pleased about the fact that another male had imprinted within the pack leaving her once again alone.

"Look, Jed, you're welcome to follow me back to the Quileute reservation." Jacob began, gathering the last of his groceries. "I'm willing to hear you out, but first I need to let the others know." He was wary and he knew by Jed's body language he could also tell as much. Jacob didn't enjoy the idea of giving away too much, and while he was alpha he felt that some semblance of this tribe's secret needed to be maintained. He didn't say out right that the others he was referring to were also werewolves, but he could assume from the way he'd phrased it that Jed would pick right up on the fact. "The council, more so the elders than anything, would probably be a good place to start."

Jacob was tired and with everything that was going on, the vampires, the stress of the patrol and his growing desire for food, it all was a bad combination and making him irritable as well as distracted and lightheaded. Head spinning and his thoughts raging loudly and wildly within his skull he knew the best chance to figure any of this out was to bounce some ideas off of Old Quil, Sue, Billy, or his last resort Sam.

"There are a few others of us, hiding out within this city. We've been on the run for a couple of months and I knew another tribe with magic was nearby." Jed said, his tone serious and flat. "I figured we could chance it and see if others of the people would help us in our time of need. We aren't helpless, but we also don't have the same…strength as wolves."

The creature beside him growled lowly, eyeing Jacob cautiously, perhaps she wasn't fond of the idea of sharing trade-secrets either. Jacob rolled his eyes at the thought, _humanizing an animal…you're going crazy Jake. _Jed silenced her quickly by patting her on the head and scratching the small scruff of fur underneath her chin. He found himself wanting to do the same, to reach out and touch her, to feel the warmth of her fur, to even curly up with her as a wolf a drift off peacefully to sleep. Jacob silently prayed that it was sleep deprivation that was causing these disgusting thoughts, and not truly the effects of imprinting. As if falling in love with a girl who didn't love him and was now a vampire wasn't enough, now fate had to throw this mess at him as well. The universe certain had an interesting sense of humor.

"I'm parked just around the corner, I'm willing to wait here for you and lead the way." Jacob offered, trying his best to sound sincere. He tried to clear his mind for a moment, aside from gathering food, which was the true intent behind this quest to Port Angeles. Within him his wolf begged for meat, the thrill of the hunt and the feel of killed prey under his paws. He'd grant his wolf's request without a moment's hesitation once safely back on the reservation, with the hellish day he'd had killing something sounded oddly…pleasant.

He could hear the murmurs and whispering words from the people who walked around them. It wasn't all that uncommon for Native Americans to be outside of their reservations in these parts of the United States, in bigger metropolitan cities sure, but Port Angeles was still close enough to Forks and La Push to be considered small in comparison. Hell, he was more accustomed to the tourists the reservation acquired during the summer more than he was with the urban dwellers. It was weird how becoming a werewolf did that to him, made him look at being a part of something bigger than himself differently, it really made the rest of the world seem like this foreign "other".

He glanced over his shoulder as Jed and the creature walked down the street and he could hear Jed's hushed voice over the droning hum of the city, talking so rapidly from this distance it reminded Jacob of the sound of hornets. The dire urge to follow them pulled at his heart, brain and his body, and even the wolf that resided inside him felt saddened to watch the pair disappear into the city streets. Even with his sensitive ears he couldn't decipher what it was that Jed was saying, he figured it had something to do with his own shape-shifter abilities, it would make no sense otherwise. One thing that Jacob prided himself on was that of his keen senses, and they were top notch.

Jacob loaded his supplies into the rabbit, well more along the lines of forced the supplies into the rabbit, before ducking down inside, and slamming the door closed behind him. He didn't bother turning over the ignition or even sticking the keys into it, he remained slightly hunched over in the driver's seat silent and still. The all too familiar sensation of fire trembled down the length of his spine and was quickly followed by brisk yet short-lived discharge spasms along his arms and legs. Anger could manifest itself in a variety of forms; a person could be angry because their behavior, for exhibiting emotions such as cowardice and vulnerability; a person could be angry because of their own chemistry; or even because environmental factors. In the case of being a werewolf all of the above applied. The last few years have helped him grasp a semblance of control, he was far from mastering it, and to a degree he didn't ever truly wish to, but keeping with the façade of being a human it was needed. Confusion was the cause this time around.

About twenty minutes passed had come and gone since Jed disappeared into the inner limits of Port Angeles and with paranoia kicking in Jacob decided that he'd done enough waiting and that if he didn't head back to the reservation soon the pack would come looking for him. As he plunged the key into the somewhat broken ignition, he peered up into his rear view mirror and noticed an old cream color Volkswagen bus pulling up behind him. It was a third generation, Jacob noted, taking in the slight differences between it and the earlier Kombis models – which really meant less circular and more boxy.

Jed tipped his cowboy hat to Jacob giving him no time to speculate who it was pulling up beside him. Jacob could sense others within the beat-down bus, six including Jed or maybe that was included Jed and his pet, whatever the case he had numbers now. The rabbit roared to life with a quick turn of the key, and then he threw the car into drive and accelerated down main-street heading toward the high way. The pressure was on now and Jacob needed to summon whatever parts of Ephraim Black's chieftain prowess to determine the next course of action. Those months long long ago when Jacob allowed the human part of his to be drained like blood from him until there was nothing left but the animal, the wolf, he'd learned to think on his feet. What choice did he have when survival was on the line? He felt as if now he was placed in a similar situation –if it turned out that this Jed character was anything less than who he claimed to be, which at this point he hadn't claimed to be much, Jacob's choices as alpha would be questioned –that's how the pack was governed, living solely to ensure survival of their pack and tribe.

It was late afternoon now, and the highway was congested with tourist traffic, but as it progressed on it thinned along 105, and Jacob decided that a detour was necessary. During the drive he'd occasionally take a quick peek up at his mirror, checking and then double checking to make sure Jed and his VW bus were still trailing behind him. The longer way home would give him more time to process every possible outcome for his – and the pack's –new guests. Strangers weren't typically allowed within the inner most workings of the reservation, the beach was really the only place where visitors were allowed. It kept things simpler that way, less explanations, less opportunities of exposure as well as fewer rage incidents. He wasn't keen on the idea of being hunted by normal humans, he'd remember reading old myths about humans seeking out werewolves and killing them with silver bullets, hell there were even new theories that silver nitrate could kill a werewolf. And although he was more…shape-shifter than true werewolf, the idea of having to defend himself against humans and possibly injuring them didn't settle well with his stomach –no, he would make sure that the situation didn't come to that. Even if Jed and his kin weren't fully human, they were vulnerable enough to seek his pack and family out, which told him more than enough. If he started a fight wouldn't be much of one, more like an execution than anything else.

Jacob stole another peek and sure enough Jed was still following him._ Maybe that's what they secretly wanted,_ Jacob thought, his mind reeling once again. Jed did confess that someone had been hunting them, perhaps this was there easy way out to avoid being held captive and then eventually murdered by whoever wanted them dead. He hadn't known in all of the Quileute's history for the wolves to ever meddle in outsider's affairs, granted the Cullens did slightly alter their once pristine record, but given the circumstances intervention was needed – not to mention Seth unfortunately imprinting on Renesmee also impacted the members pack. Ultimately no matter what the Elders said the final decision would rest at Jacob's feet, and he knew that it was just another burden of being alpha. Allowing Jed into the reservation would expose him and whoever he brought with him to the pack's secret, as well as to the citizens of both La Push and Forks, thus no matter how many angles Jacob tried to look at the situation Jed and his followers would be under pack protection.

They reached the reservation long before Jacob it was visible within his line of sight. The soft moans of the waves raking across the beach rocks were his first indication of home. They rounded the last bend of the highway soon enough and was greeted by a spray of ocean mist as the waves slapped abrasively against the cliff's edge. His house was only a mile or so away now the musky scent of wolves lingered heavily along with the ocean breeze and the freshness of the forest, even as a human he could smell his pack all over La Push. Jacob slowed gradually, the speedometer drifted from fifty-five to thirty and then down to twenty. Due to the high tourist rates during the summer months the La Push police tended to hang out along the outer limits of the La Push reservation line, like spiders laying in wake for unsuspecting victims, it was the only action they ever acquired and when the off season came back around their positions as officers of the law would be render useless once again.

The one-level crimson ranch style house came into shortly thereafter and Jacob was half tempted to keep driving. His paranoia was still getting the better of him, and if there was a chance…that slight chance that Jed and his kin were enemies rather than victims or even allies like they claimed – he would destroy them and never forgive himself. Decided that innocent until proven guilty was a better mindset, he pulled into the gravel and dirt drive way only to be greeted by seven very concerned werewolves glowering in the yard and his father, who remained focused and silent, sat in his wheelchair on the front porch. He quickly shifted the key and cut the engine of the rabbit, there was a small hiccup sound from underneath the hood, probably a result of Jacob's abruptness, but he filed it under things to deal with later. He waited until the VW bus pulled up behind him in the drive way before exiting the rabbit. He looked toward his pack, met their questioning faces, and a glaring set from Leah, with unfaltering eyes and the authoritative magic of the alpha. None of them moved from their positions, a characteristic that was more wolf than human, it was a defense mechanism rather than an aggressive action –they all wanted to be alert in case Jacob gave them the order to attack.

He waved his hand at them dismissively, but none of the pack relaxed if anything he swear he could have heard a few growls radiating from them, or at least from Paul and Leah. Jacob rolled his eyes and started toward the VW bus, Paul and Leah were always aggressive, that truly was nothing new. Another bout of murmurs could be heard coming from the bus, and Jacob was pretty certain that the pack could hear the people within the beat-up old car as clearly as he could. The voices died down as Jacob drew closer and he tried not to let it bother him, or at least not too much. Jed was the first to exit the bus, something a leader would do, what an alpha would do, test the waters to ensure a territory was safe enough for the ones he protected. Jacob almost hated to admit it but Jed had guts. There was no real reassurance that Jacob wouldn't command the pack to attack or that they would truly protect them, Jed was just going off of faith, and it had been a long time since Jacob had seen that type of faith placed in strangers – not that Jed was really left with many options at this point.

Quil and Jared came bounding toward him and Jacob assumed it had more to do with be precautious more so than being curious. "Collect strays now are we, Jacob?" Quil chuckled, elbowing Jacob playfully. He was trying to lighten the mood, Jacob knew that, it just happened to be Quil's personality. Since imprinting on Claire he seemed to have a more happy-go-lucky type of attitude, more light-hearted and carefree, and Jacob hated it and envied it, or at least he did until today. Jared didn't say anything, in fact his silence was out of character for him, and that was unsettling. Jared was another wolf who'd imprinted and more often than not was insanely happy all the time because of his imprintee, Kim. Jared was more level-headed than the others, he was meticulous, thinking through his consequences of his actions before acting.

"What's going on, Jacob?" Quil inquired, cocking his eyebrow slightly. "Who are these people?"

"They need help so I invited them here." He began, "but let's call a meeting so that everyone hears the story at once, even the Elders. I'm beat and don't really feel like repeating myself." He sighed heavily and ran a hot hand through his sleek black hair before starting again. "There are groceries in the rabbit, if you guys want to grab em'. Let's grab some chow before anything else happens."

Jacob looked to Jed, who was standing only a few strides away hands tucked securely inside his ratty denim jacket, and thought about the boarding situation for him and his kin. Jacob and Billy's house wasn't huge, in fact it wasn't even considered a medium size house, it was enough for them of course because the two had lived there for as long as Jacob could remember, but it wasn't a place that could comfortably fit ten plus people. Emily surely would let a few of them stay with her and Sam, even if Sam refused, and she would do so as a courtesy to Jacob – hell, Sue for that matter would do the same. The only problem with them staying at Sue Clearwater's was that Charlie would be there as well, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to explain more pack business to him just yet.

The tension in the air was undeniable and Jacob could sense the apprehension from his brothers and sister from where he stood. If they were in their wolf forms the hackles on each and every one of them would have been erect and quivering. That was the weird thing about being an alpha and being a part of a pack. Alpha's magic and authoritative power came from what they drew from their packs and Jacob had a significant sized pack; however, with that came an odd sense of empathy that was often overwhelming. The one thing that Jacob prided himself on is that he'd always kept his word – he'd never take another's will away. And since making that promise he has made sure to be careful with his words, and while his anger has always gotten the better of him, the plight of being a werewolf, he would never command the pack to murder those who he considered defenseless and right now Jed fit that bill.

"It's not much but you and the others can stay here until we get everything figured out. I'm going to rally the others and track down our Elders and see what council they can offer." Jacob half croaked, the feeling of fatigue and exhaustion finally catching up with him.

Jed nodded but remained silent. Jacob thought he saw something within Jed's eyes, a weariness that hadn't been there before. The perfectly composed mask seemed to fall away at Jacob's words, as if Jed had been holding his breath waiting for the other foot to drop, for them to finally have no other options, and for some reason it made Jacob's heart tighten uncomfortably. Jed threw open the sliding door to the bus, finally revealing the rest of his kin, and reassured them that it was okay to leave the sanctity and safety of their property. Five people stepped out of the bus, three males and two females ranging from very different ages, and stood side by side like ducks in a row behind Jed. It was one of the females, however that caught Jacob's attention, from where he stood he could see the distinct and unusual gleam of hazel brown eyes.

* * *

After eating and showering Jacob's first inclination was to doze off, but his wandering mind would allow him to do anything but. He had learned long ago that he had a tendency to overthink and analyze everything. During his slight break Billy and the pack kept a watchful eye on Jed and those who followed him and Jacob was thankful for the moment of peace. "Relax Jake," Jared had said, patting his alpha and friend on the back. "We've got everything covered. We'll keep our eyes open while you take a breather." He appreciated his friend's words, while they didn't literally help him unwind and relax they were comforting. He remembered then, rather regretfully, that Sam had wanted to speak with him earlier today, and maybe unconsciously or rather consciously he'd been avoiding reaching out to him. He shuffled into the kitchen, his bare feet dragging across the old wooden floor, reached up and grabbed the coil-corded phone, and then dialed Emily's place.

The phone rang three times before anyone picked up the line and Jacob knew instantly from the heavy breathing who it was – Sam. "Jake." He said flatly, the baritone of alpha magic still lingering within his voice. "There's been an incident – one of which I didn't anticipate happening ever again in this area."

"If you're talking about those bloodsuckers that have been wandering around, don't worry the pack and I have it covered." Jacob growled lowly, his tone matching if not overpowering Sam's. He leaned up against the wall and waited for Sam to speak again, being an alpha meant that he wasn't obligated to do so, now that he'd claimed his birthright he honestly didn't even have to be pleasant to Sam, but Jacob promised a long time ago to keep things civil between him and Sam; however, that didn't mean he really liked it.

"Emily got word from her family on the Makah reservation that there have been some kidnappings in that area. Five people have gone missing within the last two days, and I wouldn't even be getting involved if not for the fact its Emily and that she's worried about her family."

Jacob sighed. If it wasn't one thing than it was another. Kidnappings, strangers seeking sanctuary, and nomadic vampires running ramped throughout the reservation…it seemed like the problems of an alpha were infinite. "Look, Sam…" Jacob began collecting himself and attempting to mask his frustration. "We can handle it. Things are a bit hectic here right now, but when we figure everything out I'll send a patrol up to the Makah reservation to run night ops."

"Jake…" Sam growled.

"Don't worry about it. If you get too caught up in pack business you'll end up ruining your streak and I'm sure both you and Emily don't want that. If worse comes to worse then I'll call you, but until then stay out of it." And with that Jacob hung up the phone.

The day had come and gone and a thin blanket of night had already begun to cover the warm glow of the midday sun. The elders had finally arrived, not only could Jacob hear them but he could also smell the burning wood from the pit-fire. From the low tones he could tell that the collective group wasn't pleased. Jacob still hadn't explained Jed's situation and it wasn't typical for them to welcome strangers on their land without some sort of formal introduction, and from what he could tell Jed wasn't going to offer up any introductions on his own – he was leaving that to Jacob.

Jacob peered out of the kitchen window and watched the scene unfold in front of him. Billy sat at his usual place in his wheelchair in-between one of the spaces that separated the triangle set logs, Sue and Old Quil sat beside him on his right hand side and the pack fell in around them. Leah eyed the band of strangers carefully or more so skeptically while they all waited for Jacob. Jed and the others weren't sitting around the fire like the others, but instead off to the side barely within the luminosity of the fire's reach. All but Jed and the girl with the hazel eyes huddled close together, whispering among themselves and slightly trembling. Jacob wasn't sure if it was out of fear or because of the slight chill in the air, but whatever the case they didn't look too pleased.

"Jacob!" Leah called from the back door, "Everyone is ready." There was a lingering lint of irritation in her tone, Leah's overprotectiveness getting the better of her. Any other day he would have reprimanded her for it, or at least had a snide comment about it, but with exhaustion still calling his name, he decided against it.

He joined the others, his occasionally flickering toward the hazel eyed girl, and sat on the edge of the log nearest to his father. Billy patted him on the knee and smiled tensely at him, although attempting to be comforting, he too was unsure of what lay before them.

Jed, accompanied by the girl, walked toward the Quileutes with his back erect and shoulders reared back. "We are sorry for the intrusion, but as I told Jacob, he are in dire need of your particular type of…assistance." His eyes glanced around the semi-circle briefly before continuing. "My name is Jedidiah Crazy Horse, and I am one of the eldest living descendants of Coyote."

"Coyote?" Paul chocked, half laughing half serious with his question. "As in that lame excuse for a carnivore, coyote?"

"Paul!" Sue chastised.

"What?"

Jed cleared his throat before beginning again. "It's alright. Yes, of the very same. Except we who are descendants of Coyote are blessed with the ability to take on his form. You see, in the myths and legends of Coyote he was a clever trickster who shape-shifted or guised himself as a human. Among our people, the Blackfoot, we believe that it is from this…Coyote's original intermingling with humans that his magic was passed on throughout our tribe." He paused deliberately, collecting his thoughts or rather debating over what he should say next, "When Coyote took his first human wife he made it his duty to keep peace among the supernatural world and that of the natural one. He tasked himself with battling Gods, warding off evil beings, and even hunting witches. The only true threats to his family…"

"And so because of this legacy we…" Jed indicated to both himself and the others behind him, "His children are tasked with the same."

"So what exactly are you?" Quil asked, "Were-Coyotes…or something?"

Jacob shook his head at the thought. It just sounded idiotic, first off. If they called themselves "were-coyotes" there was no way he could possibly buy into Jed's story. "Obviously, they are shape-shifters..." Leah groaned, rolling her eyes.

"We get that, Leah, but what is what they do called?" Jared piped in.

"The westernized version of what we're called is Skin-walkers," This time it was the hazel eyed girl who spoke. "It's not really the correct term since technically you need a pelt of the type of animal you trying to transform into actually be that animal, so we just call ourselves Walkers."

Her voice was velvet smooth and wrapped around Jacob like a cloak of warm honey. His heart sped up then, once she began talking, and then gradually died down once she'd finished. It was like hearing the whispers of an old lover as they pulled him into a tight embrace. Jacob in his twenty years of life had never had an actual lover, or even a legitimate girlfriend for that matter. He'd tried dating a year after the Cullens left, but nothing ever panned out, and no woman, aside from Bella, ever made him feel this love sick.

She was tall, taller than most women and girls that he'd encountered, and lean with decent muscle definition. Her hair, like Jed's, was long and thick, however, unlike Jed's her hair was almost a chocolate brown, or at least more brown than black, and was pulled into a singular braid that hung off her right shoulder and down past her chest.

"Why have you come?" Old Quil asked, still not convinced of their sincerity. "Why do you seek the wolf packs help?"

"Unfortunately, our kind is being hunted by one of our clan's age old enemies – a witch." Jed said, his face solemn in the light of the fire.

"Seriously?" Colin asked, his interest piqued. "Witches are real?"

"Not surprising…" Jacob scoffed, rolling his eyes at one of his younger pack brothers. "Vampires, werewolves, and now shape-shifting coyote people. Are you really surprised that witches exist too?"

Colin shook his head no, clearly feeling foolish for asking in the first place, averted his gaze back to Jed and lowered his head slightly, embarrassed by his overeager questioning.

Jed nodded in agreement, "Yes, witches have existed for thousands of years and most Native tribes have encountered at some point in their people's history. Coyote sought them out because his particular magic cancelled out the evil magic that most witches practiced, and I'm sure as Jacob has noticed, "he quickly glanced at Jacob and then back to the rest of the group. "We can use our own _brand _of magic to not only conceal ourselves but also to confuse others and their senses."

"No wonder you guys don't smell." Embry said, the revelation finally dawning on him.

_And why I couldn't figure out what that dog-like creature was before_, Jacob thought looking at the girl beside Jed. The creature that Jed had with him at the farmer's market was this girl, Jacob was pretty confident of that fact. A sense of relief washed over him then and the idea of imprinting on an animal like a crazy person quickly left the depths of his mind.

"Daniel, our youngest…" Jed said, indicating to the smallest of the males, "Has premonitions, well, more so night visions than anything else –"

"Great, another psychic…"Leah scoffed, not at all pleased with the idea.

This earned Jacob a questioning look from Jed which he quickly dismissed, that particular can of worms he in no way wanted to explore here and now, especially not with a bunch of strangers.

"- he can only get them while he dreams and he can't control them, they come to him on a whim. Much like Coyote himself, they are often tricky and unclear. This particular dream showed that of two superhuman-like people, with skin as pale as the moon and eyes as crimson as blood wreaking havoc among our people. It wasn't until the blood of our other elder members was shed that he was visited by Jacob in his dreams…"

All eyes turned to Jacob who was just as confused as everyone else. "I recognized you from the description Daniel gave us when he first shared his dream. Within it he told me of our first meeting and a few of the geographical locations to help pinpoint directly where you were exactly."

"The cold ones." Old Quil muttered lowly, his tone so hushed it seemed almost like he was speaking to himself.

"Vampires indeed." Billy said in agreement.

The fire pit popped and cracked once the word was mentioned as if knowing something unnatural was taking place. That bad feeling Jacob had earlier now knocked into him with the force of a cement wreaking ball. All the pieces were there, like some odd coincidence of a puzzle that he didn't remember ever taking out or wanting to start, and he couldn't see how any of the pieces fit into place though he knew they would make a clear picture once he had.

"Why would vampires take a sudden interest in you guys if you claim your natural enemy is witches?" Jacob finally asked, working through everything on his own. "Have they ever bother you all before?"

"No," the girl spoke up, her eyes cloudy from what appeared to be tears. "The Walkers have never had issues with vampires, and our tribes' history has never reflected an encounter either"

Jed patted her shoulder in an act of comfort and sympathy, there was pure love and affection within the gesture, nothing that seemed romantic, from what Jacob could tell, but familial like that of a father or older brother. For some reason that relieved Jacob, unknowingly there had been some sense of jealousy stirring within him, one that he hadn't noticed until he noticed how lovingly Jed referred to the girl.

"Well, at least we'll get a little more action around here!" Paul cheered, a smug smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "The rez was starting to get a boring."

No one seemed as enthusiastic as Paul about the possible threat of more vampires, although it would forever be the duty of the wolves to protect the reservation and Forks from vampires, that didn't mean they necessarily wanted keep fighting the good fight for the rest of their individual lives. Leah shook her head and huffed, clearly displeased as much as anyone else. It wasn't as if she was an open-arms kind of person, in fact aside from Seth, Jacob was pretty sure she just tolerated everyone else.

"Maybe we should go around and introduce everyone before calling it a night?" Sue asked, rubbing her fingers together near the fire.

The wolf pack obliged starting with the newer and youngest members Colin and Brady, then Quil, Jared, Paul, Leah, Embry and then Jacob. The Elders then followed suit and did the same, each of them making sure to at least appear somewhat friendly to the band of misfit shape-shifters.

"I'm Rowan Good." The hazel eyed girl said, her voice not carrying to her eyes. They remained flat and lackluster. The others of their group stepped forward, one by one following each other like sheep, Rowan pointed to each beginning with the smaller one, Daniel, the taller and more robust of the group was Matthew, then Sean who had shorter hair than the rest of the group, and then Naomi the second girl, who in comparison to Rowan seemed frail and fragile.

It was a humongous risk bringing these outsiders into La Push, not that he didn't believe he and the wolf pack couldn't handle a few vampires, in fact he was confident that once they reared their ugly blood-thirsty heads they'd be done for. An evening patrol would take care of any lingering suspicious he had about them showing up while everyone was sleeping and this thought caused him to debate whether or not it was a good idea to pair off Paul and Leah together for the job. While she was his second, Paul hot-head had a tendency to butt-heads with the idea of Leah being higher ranked than him in the pack, mainly because she was faster and more agile than him and secondly because she was a woman.

"Leah, I want you to take point and scout the northwestern perimeter. " Jacob said, his alpha magic radiating from him in massive waves. "Jared and Embry, you guys go with her and let us know if you catch wind of anything. Paul, you can take first night watch. "Jacob sighed and looked around, that left Quil, Colin, and Brady. Tonight was a school night and both Colin and Brady still needed to focus enough on their studies to get into high school, sending them home was the best option; Quil on the other-hand could keep watch over at Emily and Sam's place.

"Jake, buddy, why don't you catch some Z's?" Quil asked, taking in Jacob's degenerative state. "We can handle it from here."

"Yes, Jacob, I think that's a good idea." Sue said softly, standing to pat him on the shoulder. "Our guests can bunk at my place tonight and then the rest can be sorted out in the morning."

Jacob nodded in agreement more so out of pure exhaustion than anything else, if he'd had the energy he would have argued but sleep did sound nice.

"Sure, sure." He mumbled stifling a yawn in the process. A part of him wanted to stay awake, to learn more about Rowan, but another part of him told him it was just too soon. Too soon to think that he'd imprinted and too soon to want to be more than just strangers to one another.

Vampires, Witches, and Walker Coyotes…oh my. What the hell had he gotten himself into this time?


End file.
